TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development minister Obert Mpofu is negotiating with his Local Government, Public Works and National Housing counterpart Ignatius Chombo for the Zinbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) to take over city parking bays.
by VENERANDA LANGA
Mpofu told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development, chaired by Chegutu West MP Dextor Nduna (Zanu PF), on Monday that Zinara could set up a better system to collect city parking fees than local authorities.
In March, Zinara board chairman Albert Mugabe also told the same committee during a tour of Zinara that there was need for urban councils to come on board and repair road infrastructure using money they were collecting from parking fees and advertisements on street lights targeting motorists.
Glen Norah legislator Webster Maondera (MDC-T) asked Mpofu to explain if the suggestions by Zinara were going to be effected. “This is something I am currently discussing with Chombo because Zinara has a more efficient system of collecting fees than local authorities,” Mpofu said.
“The systems are advanced such that we can actually log in government operations to increase efficiency – and it seems Chombo is warming up to the idea, and we are going to be talking about it.”
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He said if Zinara was given the leeway, the authority would collect more revenue as Harare City Council parking officials had no proper follow-up systems and were easily manipulated by motorists.
However, council was opposed to the move arguing that it would leave them financially crippled.
On whether it was possible to impose a two cents fuel levy in order to put the funds into road rehabilitation, Mpofu said his ministry could not just impose the levy without following procedure.
“For the two cents fuel levy – we cannot just impose it because there is a process that we have to follow through the ministry of Energy and Power Development, as well as Cabinet before that can be done. The process is, however, on course and I have to first discuss with Energy minister Samuel Undenge because such adjustments attract criticism,” he said.